Question of the Week

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Is it a Cold or Allergies?
My 9 year old has had a runny nose, sneezing and a cough for several weeks now. He doesn't have a fever and otherwise seems well. Does he just have a cold or could it be allergies?

Swim Lessons for Kids
When can I start swim lessons? Learn how to teach your child to enjoy the water and become safe around the water.

What Do I Do About My Child's Fever?
What to do about your child's fever, including a description of what a fever is, effective treatments, including using acetaminophen and ibuprofen, and things to avoid.

Stuttering in Children
Many toddlers and preschool age children stutter as they are learning to talk, and although many parents worry about it, most of these children will outgrow the stuttering and will have normal speech as they get older. Learn what to do if your child stutters.

Terror Threat Advisory and Your Kids
My six year old recently told me that he was afraid because the Homeland Security Threat Advisory had been raised to the orange or high level. What should I do about this?

Should we try Strattera?
My 8 year old with ADD isn't doing well. He takes 18mg of Concerta, but it isn't controlling his symptoms. On higher doses, he can't sleep, and he lost 5 pounds on Adderall XR. Would Strattera be a good medicine for him?

Strattera for ADHD in the Summer
Should your continue your child's ADHD medicine during the summer when he is out of school?

Do My Kids Need a Flu Shot?
I know that flu season is coming. Do my kids needs a flu shot?

Normal Growth of Young Children
How do I know if my child is growing normally? Regular measurements of your child's height, weight and head circumference and plotting them on a growth chart are a good way to see if your child is growing normally.

Tylenol vs. Motrin
What's better for my child when she has a fever, acetaminophen (Tylenol, Tempra) or ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil)?

Where are my antibiotics?
My son has had a green runny nose for three days. I took him to a new Pediatrician today and for the first time, I left without a prescription for an antibiotic. Doesn't he need an antibiotic to clear up his sinus infection? How come my last doctor always gave us a prescription?

The Tooth Fairy and Losing a First Baby Tooth
My son is six years old and hasn't lost his first tooth yet. He is anxious for the tooth fairy to come and we are both wondering what the going rate now is for a first baby tooth. Will he lose a tooth soon?

Why Aren't My Kids Getting Better?
Review the reasons for why your child may not be getting better, including not taking his medicines, having a wrong diagnosis, having medication side effects or interactions, or just not giving it enough time.

Breastfeeding and Drugs
I have terrible migraines that are incompacitating. My doctor has prescribed Imitrex (sumatriptan succinate), but I am afraid to take it because I am breastfeeding. Is Imitrex safe to take while breastfeeding?

Prozac for Kids
I noticed that the FDA just approved treating kids with Prozac. I am a bit surprised, as my child is taking Prozac already. Why was he prescribed a medicine that wasn't FDA approved to be used in children?

How do I protect my kids from lead poisoning?
Our house is about 15 years old and I know that living in an older house is a risk factor for lead poisoning. What do I have to do to protect my children from being poisoned with lead?

Is it safe to eat fish?
I am pregnant and have heard warnings about eating fish. Is it safe to eat fish while I am expecting? Is it safe for my toddler to eat tuna fish?

Sports Physical Exams
My teen needs a sport's physical before he can play football this fall. Should I go to his Pediatrician or is it just as good to let them do the team physical at school?

Safe Traveling with your Infant and Toddler
We are taking a trip soon to visit family and don't want to take a lot of supplies, like a crib or high chair. Can we use a playpen and hook-on chair as an alternative for our 15 month old?

Spring Allergies
Every year, around March or April, my son gets a persistant runny nose, water eyes and he sneezes all of the time. Could he have allergies?

Why Don't Antibiotics Work Anymore?
With recent ear and sinus infections, my son has had to be on 2 or 3 different antibiotics to get rid of each infection. Why don't antibiotics work anymore? And does it matter which antibiotic my child takes?

Toddler Milk and Calcium Requirements
My 14 month old has a milk intolerance. He has been on a soy formula, because he has diarrhea every time that we tried to give him a cow's milk based formula. He also had diarrhea when we recently tried to introduce regular cow's milk. Does he really need to drink milk?

Insect Repellents with DEET for Kids
Answers to your questions about the use of insect repellents with DEET on your kids to protect them from mosquitoes and other insects.

When Should Puberty Start?
When should puberty start? Puberty usually occurs in a series of stages (tanner stages) between the ages of 8 and 13 for girls and 9 and 14 for boys.

Reusing a Car Seat after a Car Accident
We were just in a car accident. Fortunately, everyone was restrained and no one was injured. Can we still use our children's car seats even though they were in an accident?

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